Lubricating system for air blowers



Feb. 19, 1929. f 1,702,939

' BJ GREENFIELD LUBRIGATING SYSTEM FOR AIBLOWERS Filed Feb. 25, 1926 Patented F eb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES i 1,702,939 PATENT OFFICE.

BENJMIN GREENFIELD, 0F JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COMBUS- TION UTILITIES CORPORATION,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION F MAINE.

LUBRICATING- SYSTEM FOR AIR BLOWERS.

Application filed February 25, 1926, Serial No. 90,446.

'Iliis invention relates to a system for lubricating air blowers'of the type having disklike pistons mounted on eccentrics on a driving shaft. Blowers of this type are well a adapted for use in connection with oil-burning house-heating systems because of their.

positive action and relative simplicity and wlien properly lubricated give efficient service over long periods of time. Present lubricatlo ing systems for this type of blower require attention at more or less regular intervals if the blower is to function eiliciently.

It has been found, however, that the average householder cannot be relied upon to give regular attention to the proper lubrication of devices forming part of a house-heating system. KIt is therefore desirable that the Y matter of lubrication be made as easy as possible whereby to relive the householder of constant attention to the lubrication of the blower.

The present invention has for its object to provide a lubricating system for air blowers of the type indicated which shall have an oil A supply from which oil may be continuously .drawn by the blower as it operates, such supply preferably being enough to provide all the oil needed for the season during which the house-heating system will be operated, whereby the householder may be relieved of frequent attention to the lubrication of the blower. y

In. accordance with the present invention, two oil reservoirs are provided, one of `which may be termed a primary reservoir and the other a secondary reservoir. The primary reservoir is conveniently located within the blower housing and the second reservoir is conveniently formed in the base on whichthe blower unit is mounted. The primary reservoir feeds oil to the blower at a uniform rate, the oilbeing entered into the blower along vwith the intake air. The oil feeding device associated with the primary reservoir is so constructedv that a constantoil level must be maintained .in the reservoir in order to provide a constant rate of feed. In order to keep the primary reservoir constantlyfull of oil,

means are provided for continuously with-v drawingenough oil from the secondary reservoir to keep the primary reservoir full.

In the preferred embodiment of the yinvention the oil supplied to the primaryreservoir from the secondary reservoir first passes through the blower along with the intake air, the oil being separat-ed from the outgoing air by an oil separator from whence it flows to the primary reservoir. When the -oil from the secondary reservoir is supplied to the primary reservoir in the manner indicated, the rate of feed from the primary reservoir is so regulated that its rate of feed plus the oil fed from the secondary reservoir shall just be enough to thoroughly lubricate the blower without ooding it. lAnother feature of the invention is that upon starting the blower after a period of rest a slug of oil will be supplied to the blower whereby to give it a preliminary bath of oil.

For a fuller understanding of the invention reference is made to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification.

'on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 andvshowing among other things an oil separator 'which it is preferred to use in connection with' the lubricating system of the presentinvention.

In the drawings, the blower to be lubricated is shown as part of a combined oil and blower unit driven by a common motor, the motor being generally indicated at 10, the blower at 12 and the oil pump at 14, the whole assembly being shown as supported on a hollow base 16 having an oil reservoir 18 therein hereinafter more fully referred to.

The blower construction includes two axially alined cylinders 20 and 22, the adjacent ends of which are separated by plate 24 and the opposite ends of which are closed by plates 26 and 28 respectively,the oil pump, not necessary to be described, being located on the outer side of the plate 28. Extending from the outer` face of the plate 26 is a hollow casing 30, the outer end of which abuts and is ixedly connected to the housing of the motor 10 in any suitable manner. Below said cylinders 20 and 22 are chambers 32 and 34 Cri respectively, one for each cylinder, the chambers and cylinders being in open communication through a passage 86 (sce Fig.

The blower pistons take the torni ot' relatively wide disks 38 of smaller diameter than their cylinders7 there being one disk for each cylinder. rllhese disks are mounted on a crank shaft which extends through and has bearing in, the plates 26, 24 and 287 the shatt being coupled to the shaft ot' the motor l() in any suitable manner as by a flexible coupling 42. The cranks or eccentrics ot the shaft 40 are indicated at 44. rlhe cranks 44 are lubricated through ports 46 extending radially through the disk pistons 38. Each piston is preferably made hollow and is provided with a crank-bearing bushing 48. rl`he hollow portion of the piston forms a chamber' in which the lubricating oil may accumulate 'for the better lubrication ot their respective cranks. Each piston is prevented from rotating about its own axis by an arcuate member 5t) one end ot which is rockably connected to the cylinder casting as at 5:2 and the other end to the piston as at 54 at a point in line with the passage 3G, the. arcuate members being located within the said chambers, one member in each chamber. Each arcuate member is as wide as its piston and divides the chamber in which it is placed into upper and lower parts, namely. into an air intake portion or side and an air outlet portion or side, the similar sides of both chambers being in open communication with each other through ports 56 and 58 extending through the cylinder-dividing plate 24 (see Fig. 3). rllhe air intake sides ot said chambers are open to the atmosphere through means including a port 60 in the plate 2G, a conduit 62 which is in communication with said port and located within the chamber formed by the tlange 30 projecting .laterally from the cylin- 1 der plate 26, a conduit 64 located outside ot the blower housing7 and a toram'inous sleeve or screen secured to the conduit 64. The air outlet sides of said chambers and 34 are in open comuumication with a conduit 68 from whence the compressed air passes through an oil separator and from thence into a conduit (39 which loads to the oil burner or turnace (not shown). y

'lllie mode of operation ot the blower will be readily understood 'from the foregoing dcseription but may be briefly described as tollows:

As thel crank shaft 4t) rotates the piston disks 238 mounted on the cranks ot the driving shaft 4t) are caused to wipe their cylinders, the intake air entering the cylinders through a path including that part of the passage 36 on the concave side ot the arcuate members 50, the compressed air passing from the cylinders through the other halt of the passage 36 and the conduits previously mentioned.

The mechanism for lubricating the above described blower construction will now be eX- plained. An oil reservoir` generally designated at 70 is formed in the laterally extending casing 30 by means of an upright wall 72 therein. 'lthis reservoir for convenience of description may be termed the primary reservoir. 'lthe o-il reservoir 18 previously described as being formed in/the hollow base 16 is preferably located` immediately below the reservoir 70 and may be termed the secondary reservoir. `When the reservoir-70 is full-to overflowing, it overflows through a standpipe 74 into the reservoir 18.

Disposed within the primary reservoir 70 is an oil-feeding device generally indicated at 76. rlthis device comprises a body having a relatively small bore 77, the lower end of which is open to the reservoir 70 as through a laterally extending opening 77. in the body near its bottom and the upper end ot which opens into an oil well 78. rllhe top of the bore 77 is below the top of the overflow pipe 7 4. Consequently oil will accumulate in the oil well to a level as high as the top ot the pipe 74 when the reservoir is full of oil. Extending trom the top oit the oil well is an open-top pipe 79 through which air may be blown for cleaning out the bore 77 when required. rll`he top of ythis pipe terminates near the top of the blower housing, the latter lhaving an opening 96 therein normally closed by a cover 98 whereby access may be had to the pipe. Leading from near the bottom of the oil well 78 is a pipe 82 which is in open communication with the air intake conduit as at the branch 62 thereof. The'suction produced in the air intake conduit when the blower is operating is suflicient to draw the oil flowing into the oil well into the ingoing current of air. When the blower is first started a slug of oil representing the accumulated oil in the oil well will be drawn into the blower by the ingoing air thus giving the blower a preliminary bath of oil. llt may be mentioned at this point that the suction etlective in the pipe 82 does not exert any etect on the rate of feed ot oil through the bore 77 inasmuch as the oil well is open to the atmosphere through the pipe 79.

In order to economize on oil the outgoing air is relieved of the oil carried thereby or suspended therein by passing the air thrtmgh any approved t'orm of oil separator. rllhc oil separator shown in the drawings (Fig. B)

comprises a drum 86 into which extends a I closed-top tube 84 having radial openings v88 below the tube top7 said tube extending from the outlet ot' the air conduit 68. rllhe oil laden air passes through radial openings 88 and impinges against the sides of the drum with the result that the oil is precipitated by the walls of the drum and collects in the bottom of the drum from which it is .drawn through a pipe 94 emptying into the prei liminary reservoir 79 (see Fig. 2). The air relieved of its oil passes out of the drum through the opening 90 in the top thereof from whence it parses intothe pipe 69 leading to the oil burner or furnace (not shown).

Oil from-the oil reservoir 18 isf fed to the primary reservoir 70 in the following manner. IVitlIin the reservoir 18 is formed a relatively small oil chamber 91 into which dips a pipe 93 leading from the air intake v conduit as from the branch 64 thereof. Oil is fed into 4this chamber' by a wick 95 looped over a partition 97 which separates the chamber from the main reservoir. The oil feeding capacity of the wick is such that only enough oil will be fed by the wick `into the chamber 91 to insure that the primary reservoir 7() shall always be maintained full of oil. The oil accumulating in the chamber 91 is drawn up throughthe pipe 93 by the ingoing air and passesthrough the blower in the same manner as the oil being fed from the primary reservoir 70. As previously indicated the outgoing air passes through an,

oil separator and the oil accumulating therein lows to the primary reservoir by way of the pipe 94 leading lfrom the drum 86 forming part of the oil'separator. As previously indicated any surplus oil in the primary reservoir 70 returns to the reservoir 18 through the overflow lstandpipe 74. The chamber 91 is open to the atmosphere by Way of a small hole 98 in the reservoir wall and consequently the rate of feed of the wick 95 is not affected by the suction in the pipe 93. Inasmuch as the wick will continue to feed oil into the chamber 91 irrespective of whether or not -the blower is operating, a small quantity of 'oil will accumulate in the chamber 91 when the bloweris *not operating. Upon starting the blower this Aaccumulated oil will be drawn up through the pipe 93 as a slug of oil and will serve to give the blower a preliminary bath of oil. .It will be remembered that a slug of oil was also taken from the oil well 78 upon starting the blower after a period of rest.

It willnowbe appreciated that the invention provides-two distinct lubricating systems but which are, nevertheless, so related that the operation of both is necessary for the thor kough lubrication of the blower. The oil feed- -ing device in the reservoir 18 while its primary purpose is to supply suflicient oil to the reservoir to maintain it full at all times, nevertheless, also functions to supply va certain amount of direct lubrication to the blower.

lWhile the primary oil feeding device 76 has been shown as provided with -a straight upright bore 77,it is within the spirit of the invention to regulate the flow of oil through a bore or passage which is not necessarily straight. For example, the bore mlght be made in the form of a spiral in which event the bore could be made of a larger cross-sectional area inasmuch as the greater length of with considerable particularity of detail various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and consequently no limitations are included as may be defined by the appended claims.

What is claimedis: y

1. In apparatus for lubricating air blowers by supplying oil to the. air drawn in by the blower, the combination with the air intake ofthe blower, of an oil reservoir, an oil well, means for continuously feeding oil from the reservoir into said well, and a conduit leading from the bottom of said well to the air-intake whereby the suction produced in the air intake may draw the oil from the well into the ingoing current of air.

2. In apparatus for lubricating air blowers by supplying oil to the air drawn in by y the blower, the combination with the air intake of the blower, of an oil reservoir, an oil well, means for continuously feeding oil from the reservoir into said well, a conduit leading from said well to the air-intake whereby the suction produced in the air-intake may draw the oil from the well intothe ingoing current of air, an oil separator through which the air leaving the blower passes, and means 3for returning to said reservoir the oil collecting in the separator.,

3. In apparatus for lubricating air blowers by supplying oil to the air drawn in by the blower, the combination with the air 1nl take of the blower, of an oil reservoir, an oil conduit leading from said well to the air-l intake whereby` the suction produced in the air-intake may draw the oil from thewell into the ingoing current of air,I and means for supplying oil to said reservoir from an extraneous source to maintain a substantially constant oil level therein.

4. In apparatus for lubricating air blowers by supplying oil to the yair drawn in by the blower, the combination with the air-intake and air-outletof the blower, of an oil reservoir, means for' feeding oil under subatmospheric pressure from the reservoir to the air-intake, and means in the air-outlet for separating the oil from the air.

5. In apparatus for lubricating air blowers by supplying oil to the air drawn in by the blower, the combination with the air-in take and air-outlet of the blower, of an oil reservoir of limited capacity, means for feeding oil from said reservoir to the air-intake, an oil reservoir of large capacity, means for feeding oil from the last-named reservoir to the air-intake, means in the air outlet for separating the oil from the air, and means for returning to the first-named reservoir the oil separated from the air whereby the oil supplied to the blower by the last-named reservoir replenishes the oil in the first-named reservoir.

6. lin apparatus for lubricating air blow ers by supplying oil to the air drawn in by the blower, the combination with the air intake and air outlet of the blower, of an oil well of relatively limited capacity, an oil reservoir, means for feeding oil from said reservoir to said well, a conduit through which the oil .fed into said well passes to said intake when the blower is operating, a storage reservoir adapted to contain a relatively large supply of oil, a chamber of limited volume in said storage reservoir, means for feeding oil from the storage reservoir into the cham ber therein, a conduit leading from said chamber to said intake, means associated with the air outlet of the pump for separating oil from air, and means for returning the oil separated from the air to the firstnamed reservoir.

7. lln apparatus for lubricating air blowers by supplying oil to the air drawn in by the blower, the combination of means for initially .flooding the blower with oil through the air intake and thereafter feeding oil thereto under the suction developed at the treatise take of the blower, of an oil reservoir, an oil well open to atmosphere, means of restricted capacity for conveying oil from the reservoir to the well, and a conduit leading from'the bottom of said well to the air-intake of the blower whereby the suction developed in the air intake may carry the oil from said well.

9. ln apparatus for lubricating air blowers by supplying oil to the air drawn in by the blower, the combination of a reservoir, an open-top oil well located in the reservoir the bottom of thewell being below the normal liquid level in the reservoir7 an open passage through which oil may flow from the reservoir into the oil well, and means under the influence of the suction developed by the air drawn in by the blower` for withdrawing the oil from the oil well and discharging it into the air passing through the blower.

10. 'llhe method of lubricating air blowers Y comprising initially flooding the blower with a slug of oil through the air intake, and thereafter feeding oil at a controlled uniform low rate into the air intake.

11. The methodof lubricating air blowers comprising initially passing a slug of oil under blower suction into the blower along with the ingoing air, and thereafter feedingl oil into the ingoing air at a uniform rate independently of Variations in the speed at which the blower is operating.

lln testimony whereof l afliX my signature.

lENJAMlN GREENFELD.

Patent Na ll0 27 @93% @Granted tient-tiert t9, H9299 te y lt te Yterey eertttied that errer annee tu tte printed epeeteetten et time atei/e numbered patent requiring eorreeten ae teltows:

tage t. linee 7@ aedt,

etaire llt, atrke out e werde wunder blewer auction" 4and insert the eee teintu tew attesi1 the word Weit" te ttne 72:, and that ttie said letters Patent salti be read with thin correction theret that tbe saute ay contorm to the reco et ttte ease in the Patent @Miteo (Seal) day et ttprttv tt) l).

M.. t. re., 'Acting @ommissmuer CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION,

Patent No. 1,702,939. Granted February 19, 1929, to

BENJAMIN GREENFIELD.

- i It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification ofthe above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, lines 70 and 71,

claim 11, strike out the words "under blowersuction" and insert the same to follow after the word "oil" in line 72; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of April, A. D. l1929.

M. J. Moore,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.` 

